The fourth iteration of Reno Startup Week kicks off in Midtown at the end of the month.
Startup Week was originally held at the University of Nevada, Reno Innevation Center but quickly outgrew that facility. The last two years it’s been a fixture at Basecamp and Emory at Reno Experience District, and those two venues, along with the new coworking space built by Kiln, will host events Sept. 28 through Oct. 2.
More than 1,400 people attended the event in 2025, with participation expected to be closer to 2,000 this year, said Melissa Saavedra, director of the Office of Entrepreneurship for the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
Regional business leaders and entrepreneurs will deliver nearly 70 fireside chats and discussions on a wide range of topics that include raising capital, founder wellness, technology, innovation, and using artificial intelligence in business that are geared toward helping entrepreneurs learn the vagaries of starting and growing a business.
“The sessions we have this year are inspiring, and they are impactful,” Saavedra said. “Depending on what information you want, you can easily find the right track. There are a lot of good homegrown stories from inspiring founders and entrepreneurs who want to share their experiences with like-minded people.
“It’s not often you can get so much detailed information from some seriously strong professionals in their fields,” she added.
Reno Startup Week sessions are as varied as Northern Nevada’s weather and feature some of the region’s top business executives. Send Cut Send founder Jim Belosic hosts a session on scaling a business, a topic he’s well versed in as the custom manufacturing enterprise this year crossed unicorn valuation of $1 billion in its eighth year. Other sessions are hosted by business founders, executives, and entrepreneurs who’ve made the difficult journey and share a wide range of perspectives.
Multiple headline events take place in the late afternoon. Monday features an opening keynote by Dr. Chuy Cepeda from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Peppermill. Cepeda will demystify artificial intelligence and provide AI clarity through his keynote, “Amplify.” Cepeda is also hosting a session delivered in Spanish from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Reno Public Market on Tuesday, Sept. 29 in an effort to increase engagement with the region’s large Latino community, Saavedra said.
There’s a bar crawl scheduled on Monday from 5:30-8:30 p.m. starting at Marmott Properties 960 S. Virginia St. in Midtown (the old Junkee location). Tuesday’s headline event is Comida & Community from 5-10 p.m. at Reno Public Market.
Wednesday’s headline event diverges slightly from socializing to the Startup World Cup Live Pitch Competition at Aha Projects at 199 E. Moana Lane. Ten Reno finalists vie for the opportunity to present at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco the first week of November.
Thursday’s headliner is the Entrepreneurs Playground, taking place, fittingly, at The Oddie District in Sparks. At 223,000 square feet, The Oddie is billed as the world’s largest makerspace and innovation campus. The event begins with a panel hosted by three Reno makers, followed by a slate of activities at The Playground.
All events are free to attend, though the keynote address does require signup and a ticket for entry. The Oddie District, Aha Projects and Kiln were added as venues this year because they fit the mold of Startup Week.
“They are places where you will always find local founders and local startups gathered, so it was a natural partnership,” Saavedra said.
GOED is the presenting sponsor because of the value Reno Startup Week provides to local entrepreneurs and business owners seeking to solve key enterprise issues or grow their companies, she added.
“It’s about connecting the heavy hitters in our community to our entrepreneurs and providing them with free resources and free information to start, grow and maybe even sell their business down the road,” Saavedra said. “Everything an entrepreneur needs to be successful, they will find it during Reno Startup Week, and we are honored and privileged to have this opportunity to partner with Northern. NV Now and the Nevada Small Business Development Center.
“This event wouldn’t be possible without the volunteers and other community members and sponsors,” she added. “They all work hard to ensure that this is a successful event, and that it is a free event to everyone who attends. We continue to grow year after year, and we hope that people continue to join as participants, attendees, volunteers or sponsors to continue the growth of Reno Startup Week.”
